The subject invention relates to surgical methods and apparatus for repairing bone injuries and disorders and is more particularly concerned with that aspect of bone repair involving the use of implants. The invention pertains specifically to a bone staple for exerting and maintaining a force between two pieces of bone and to a driver tool useful in implanting the staple. The invention also pertains to a method of implanting a staple of the aforementioned type.
Among their many uses, orthopedic implants are frequently employed for the dual purpose of exerting a force between a pair of bone members to adjust their relative positions and then holding the bone members under pressure so that, over a period of time, they grow to assume their adjusted positions permanently. For example, in the case of bone fractures, implants are often used to place and retain the affected bone fragments in tight compression against each other. This procedure ensures rigid fixation at the fracture site, and thus proper union of the fragments, and accelerates the healing process as well.